Submitted by: Mary Jo Koran

SBT – October 21, 2002

Betty J. Smiley

June 2, 1923 - Oct. 18, 2002

Betty Jane Smiley, 79, of 612 Oakhill Avenue, Plymouth, IN., passed away at 4:00 a.m. Friday, October 18, 2002 at Miller's Merry Manor, Plymouth.

She was born June 2, 1923 in South Bend, Ind., to Oscar and Julia Torok Peltz, they both preceded in death along with an infant daughter, infant grandson; a son, Gary Smiley in 2002; and seven brothers and sisters.

She was married on December 13, 1941 in Bourbon to Julius L. "Sam" Smiley. He preceded her in death on Sept. 28, 1998.

Mrs. Smiley had lived in Plymouth since 1998, coming from the Tippecanoe/Bourbon areas where she had lived for 45 years. Mrs. Smiley and her husband had owned and operated the Smiley Christmas Tree Farm near Tippecanoe, IN, for many years. She was also a homemaker and had worked for 8 years at the former Hart, Schaffner, Marx factory in Rochester.

Mrs. Smiley attended the Argos Bible Church, Argos; and was a past member of the Tippecanoe Fire Dept. Auxiliary, Tippecanoe, IN, and was a 1941 graduate of Tippecanoe High School.

Mrs. Smiley is survived by two daughters, Sherry Benedict and husband, Tom of Plymouth, Donna Henritze and husband, Bob of Westfield; two sons, Roger Smiley and wife, Jennifer of Port Richey, Fla., and Milton Smiley of Warsaw; eight grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter; two sisters, Evelyn Kovachevich of South Bend and Shirley Baker and husband, John of Chandler, Ariz.; and a brother, Ted Peltz of Argos.

Services for Mrs. Smiley will be held at 2 p.m. today, Oct. 21, at the Argos Bible Church, 210 S. Maple Ave., Argos, IN, with Rev. Mark Fishburn officiating. Burial will follow at the Rochester I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Rochester, IN. Visitation was from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Grossman Funeral Home, 208 N. Michigan St., Argos, IN, and will be one hour prior to funeral services today in the church.

Memorials may be made to Argos Bible Church or Marshall County Cancer Assoc.